Who are some of the best startup lawyers in Silicon Valley ?

Best is relative, of course. Many of the attorneys mentioned here are fantastic, but they work in larger law firms, which is sometimes convenient for some startups.

Here are a few reasons why it makes sense to interview multiple candidates from different firm sizes to find the right attorney for your situation:

Save money. Working with an attorney at a smaller firm can save you significant money while maintaining quality. You can often find a lawyer who has graduated from a large firm and entered a boutique practice. If you want, you can use a large firm to work on large, infrequent events (funding, mergers and acquisitions, etc.), while using a smaller firm for ongoing work (like developing an employee handbook) can save you more than 75% over using big company for all your work.

Getting more attention. It’s also worth asking if you’ll get the attention you need at one of the big startups. Sometimes it’s better to be a big fish in a small pond. If you are going with a large firm attorney, be sure to ask about response times and how much of the work will be handled by an associate versus a partner.

Consider the value. Is a large startup law firm worth the money in the first place? For some companies, yes – but unless you’re looking at big funding, the connections and specialized knowledge of a repeat player with a VC may not have the same memory and value.

Again, these are decisions that each startup makes based on its own financial situation and goals, but if you are considering working with a smaller firm for some or all of your legal needs, please check out my company, Priori Legal. We are a tightly controlled legal marketplace for high-growth startups and small and medium-sized businesses. We work with many of the best small business attorneys in Silicon Valley.